Two Enemies Embrace
by Chibi Chiriko
Summary: Subaru encounters the Ten no Ryu yumemi Kakyou in the dreamscape, and their conversation leads to a tragic confession.


.../ two enemies weep together |* TWO ENEMIES EMBRACE\...

DISCLAIMERS: X is owned by CLAMP. This is a nonprofit work of fanfiction written solely for the purpose of online entertainment, and no copyright infringement was intended. 

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WARNING: This fic contains implications of shounen ai, and for the spoiler-conscious, there will be spoilers for the end of Tokyo Babylon, X 14 and X 15. 

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Two Enemies Embrace  By Chibi Chiriko

It didn't take long for Subaru to realize that he was dreaming, for when he opened a weary, jade-tinted eye, he found himself lying on warm, white sand. The last thing he remembered before drifting off was the marble ceiling of his room at the Imonoyama mansion, and the feeling of sinking into the silken pillows and mattress of the huge bed, wrapped in the scarlet coverlet, the heat turned up. And the beach was miles and miles away from the place. 

It had been nearly midnight when he'd dozed off, but here in the dreamscape, the midday sun was high in the sky, its light causing the water that lapped at his ankles to shimmer like glass, the rocks along the shore to glisten as though perspiring, the sand to sparkle like a bed of gems. The wind was soft and warm against his face, like the caressing breath of a lover's kiss. And besides the hushed voice of the sea, the rustling of palm leaves in the breeze, and the call of the gulls that fluttered past, there was a peaceful silence. 

It was a beautiful place, a lovely distraction from the noise of Tokyo's morning streets and mourning hearts. 

How unfortunate, Subaru thought, sighing, that, pleasant as it was, it wasn't real. 

He slowly rose to his feet, relishing the fact that in this dream, his getting up wasn't accompanied by the familiar ache that throbbed in his muscles and resonated through his body in frustrating little echoes whenever he awakened in the real world. He started down the sandy path, barefoot (as he was still dressed in his pajamas), not knowing where he was headed, but not really caring. The serenity of the beach was infectious; already, relaxation was creeping through his veins, working its way to his head. The soft massage of sunlight seemed to be easing the nine-year-old weight off his long, lonely heart, clearing his mind, dismissing his darker thoughts to a more remote corner of his mind. And he welcomed it, wholeheartedly welcomed the therapy this dream provided. It almost felt as though next morning, his world would be set right, although deep in his heart, he knew that it wasn't true, that the peace was just an illusion. 

He followed the curved path of sand around the wall of rock to his left, and was startled to see someone else there. He hadn't expected company in this dream. 

The person didn't appear to see him, as his back was turned to Subaru. He was sitting on a white, flat-surfaced rock, staring out into the shining sea. His hair was the lightest shade of gold, aflame like strings of pearls riding on the breast of the wind, reflecting the brightness of the sun. His tall, slender frame was loosely clad in a white yukata, bare feet brushing the sand. He sat still, unmoving, and if it weren't for the motion of his fair tresses in the wind, Subaru might have been inclined to believe that this beautiful figure was a mere statue. 

Another thing, however, convinced him that this was a real person, and that was the sight of tear tracks on the man's pale face, trails of moisture that caught the attention of the sun's rays. 

He tensed as the man slowly turned toward him. The man offered him a weak smile of reassurance, although the smile was more bittersweet than genuinely happy. 

"Welcome, Sumeragi Subaru," the man said softly. 

"Who are you?" Subaru heard himself ask, in a hushed tone. 

"I am Kuzuki Kakyou—dreamseer of the Dragons of Earth." 

The sound of the enemy's name brought back painful memories. "Then, I ought to kill you right now," Subaru said, although the threat came out less harshly than he'd intended. 

Kakyou smiled again, and peered intently into the depths of his single working eye. "You cannot kill people in dreams, most powerful of onmyouji," he said patiently. "Neither can I harm you, either here or inreality. 

"I sincerely hope that you don't mind my intrusion into your dream. But, with the World's End coming, I felt it necessary for us to meet at least once before I lose the chance forever."

"You have… seen the World's End?" 

A nod affirmed this. "Yes. And nothing can change it." 

Subaru looked away. Above him, a flock of gulls cawed loudly as they flew past. "I care nothing for the World's End." 

Kakyou considered this. "Maybe it is better that you don't," he mused. Then he glanced at Subaru and patted the empty space beside him. "Please, sit down." 

Subaru eyed him warily, then sat down on the sand instead. Although Kakyou appeared harmless, he didn't want to sit so close to the enemy. 

He carefully studied Kakyou's face, trying to read his true intent, and gave up when all he sensed was a sadness he dared not dwell on for too long, for it was dangerously close to disrupting the temporary, illusory peace he'd found in this strange, lovely place. 

The beautiful dreamseer sighed deeply, with feeling. "I remember a time nine years ago when the space beside me wasn't empty… a brief time when I wasn't alone." 

"I… understand," was all Subaru could say, and he did understand truly, though he did not wish to. 

"She never told you about me, did she?" 

Subaru stared at Kakyou. "What are you talking about?" 

Kakyou hesitated, as though regretting what he had said, as though merely mentioning the name would disturb the serenity of the beautiful dreamscape. "Your sister." 

"Aa." Subaru fought to hide the emotions that were welling up inside him. His lower lip trembled a bit, and he bit down on it savagely. 

"I loved her, onmyouji. I loved her dearly, and I think—I believe she cared, too. I'd foreseen what would happen, everything that would happen, and I tried to—" There was a catch in the older man's voice, and he shook his head, pressing himself to continue. 

"I tried to save her. But my attempt was futile. The future, once written, cannot be changed. She died, and I _saw _it…" His voice trailed off to unsuccessfully suppressed hiccups. Kakyou was sobbing, head bent in great sorrow, slender shoulders shaking. 

Subaru made no move to comfort him. But the clenching of his fists on his knees, and the wetness in his eye was enough to say that the pain of the memory had stricken him as well. 

"She used to take me to the sea." His tone was tinged with bittersweet wistfulness. "The loveliness of this dreamscape only pales in comparison to the wonder of the sea she showed me. We could only meet in dreams, onmyouji. We could only touch in our minds, and love in our hearts. But to simply be with her, in any way possible… it was more than just enough. She became my life, and even then I could not save her… forgive me, onmyouji…!" Again, he broke down in tears. 

Subaru raised his gaze toward the sun, only to discover that it was no longer in the heights of the heavens. It now dipped below the horizon, casting a deep orange glow over the seascape, a prelude to the impending darkness that had been brought on by the grief that had been stirred by memories of lost love, from both of their hearts. 

"There is nothing to forgive, dreamseer," Subaru said, his voice expressionless, but not unkind. "You yourself said that the future cannot be changed. Her death was not your fault." 

Darkness. The sun had sank rapidly, and now it was night. The sky was an ominous bluish-black color, shadows staining everything within sight. The tiniest sliver of a crescent moon overhead was the only source of light, and the heavens were empty of stars. 

Kakyou looked at Subaru. Through his tears, he saw that the onmyouji's head was bowed, and he knew that the young man was silently grieving for his own terrible losses. 

"Isn't love such a mysterious thing?" he whispered, his voice thin in the night. 

"It's an unpredictable, uncontrollable curse, and yet it is all this terrible world is made of," Subaru said bitterly. 

"Perhaps you are right," Kakyou said softly. "After all, we cannot choose the people we love."

Subaru could hardly be more inclined to agree. 

Kakyou's next words surprised him. "It is the people whom we love who choose us." 

Subaru stared at him, to find the dreamseer looking back at him. 

"When a person chooses to manifest himself or herself in our lives, he or she has chosen us to be a part of their own, whether we like it or not, whether they themselves are aware of it. And we fall in love with them, in spite of ourselves, and we cannot help the way we feel, whether they return our feelings or not. I had been watching your sister quietly for a long time, lonely, and longing for company, and when she entered my dream for the very first time, it was then that I knew that it was her I had been waiting for, that it was her I loved." 

A cloud passed over the moon, concealing it from view. The night wind quieted, and the waves softly crashed against the shore. 

"Do you still love your sister's killer?" 

Subaru glanced away. The wind, which had been warm and tender earlier, was now brutally cold. He wrapped his arms around himself, and said, "I can never forgive the Seishirou who murdered my sister. The Seishirou I… I love is the man who made me come alive nine years ago. The Seishirou I love is the man I've been searching for all this time."

Kakyou closed his eyes, and clasped his hands together. "You cannot love people in slices, onmyouji. Neither can you love illusions." 

The moon came into view once again, the faint light it offered illuminating a lonely little tear sliding down Subaru's cheek. 

"Like you said, dreamseer… we can't choose the people we love," Subaru whispered. 

Then he wept. 

Kakyou watched him weep for a moment, his heart breaking at the sound of the young onmyouji's sobs. If he listened hard enough, it was as though there was a little bit of Hokuto in Subaru's lament. Different as their personalities had been, their hearts had been the same, as had been their eyes. Kakyou knew that Subaru was grieving over the same illusion Hokuto had unfailingly believed in, even at the time of her death. 

He moved closer to the remaining Sumeragi twin, and embraced him. And as their empathizing hearts touched, he, too, cried. 

Outside the dream, the World was slowly ending. 

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Completed: April 28, 2001 Saturday  Tweaked: April 30, 2001 Monday  Finalized and entitled: May 1, 2001 Tuesday

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_Comments are not necessary, although they sure wouldbe appreciated. Send your thoughts [here.][1] _

_Very special thanks to my little brother, who so kindly and patiently waited nearly three hours for me to get off his PC for the original draft. Love you, otouto-chan! *hug* _

   [1]: mailto:eichinkukai@hotmail.com



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